Not Crawling Yet

Hi C.! My daughter started crawling between 9 months and 10 months and was walking by her first birthday. Don't worry so much about it. My little one had just learned to sit herself up at 9 months and then the rest just followed. Each child will go at their own pace.

Why don't you try getting on the floor and showing her how to crawl. Maybe if she sees you doing it that would help her out some. My little one loves to mimic mommy and it's worked quite well for us.

Good luck and don't worry so much!

Don't worry about it! My son did not crawl until 11 months, walked at 14 months, and is doing just fine now at 3 1/2. Just remember kids don't always fit into what the books say. My son never did, on almost any subject!! If you are really worried, just ask her doctor.

Give her time! My son didn't crawl until around 10 months and even then he did a funny army crawl. He's 4 years old now and perfect!

Hi C.,
I agree with most responses that yes milestones are very broad in age range. Don't fret it will come in time. Please don't start comparing/measuring your child now with what other's are/aren't doing or it will make you go nuts.

What I kinda disagreed with is some of the replies that said it is not developementally necessary. If I remember correctly in my ECU (early childhood ed) class crawling is very instramental in reading. It has something to do with the brain. I do not recall the whole science behind it, but if I can add this. In high school my friend had dislexia and they had her do crawling and spinning, etc to stimulate something in her brain to help her with her reading.

My son "commando (belly) crawled" and my preschool director (my boss) was concerned and commented about his reading developement in the future. He has since been diagnosed with CP and received OT and PT for years. And even though he leanred to walk we also made him crawl on all fours for proper developement. Now he is 12 yrs and a GATE student pulling straigt A's. NOT to say your child has a disability, by no means...just know that crawling is important and it will come in time.

Don't worry! The range of normal for the developmental milestones of walking, talking, potty-training, rolling over, etc. is so wide. She will be getting into things around your house fast enough, enjoy the less mobile time of her life. Don 't rush her, she'll develop as she is meant to.

I wouldn't worry too much about this. My niece (who is now 18) only rolled and never really even pulled herself up and then one day she got up and walked perfectly fine all on her own with no help.

I think every baby is different. My son was crawling at 5-1/2 months but he wasn't walking until after his 1st birthday in Jan. However he isn't really talking. I think every child does things in their own time and we can't push them. It will only frustrate them even more and it could hold them back.

I noticed that on all the medical 'age-appropriate' development charts that crawling isn't listed. When I asked my doctor, she said that crawling isn't considered an important developmental milestone since many kids never crawl but roll only or go from sitting to pulling up and walking. So, she told me not worry if crawling came late or never at all. It was more important that they sit, roll, put weight on their arms during tummy time, and put weight on their legs. Crawling is obviously a good thing but if they don't do it they are not considered to be behind in development. So, I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. She can definitely get what she wants by rolling and obviously feels this is a fine method of movement for herself!

Rolling is actually considered "crawling" behavior as she is using it as a tool to get from point A to point B which is very common. My little guy did the same thing and rolled until he was 1. He finally started the standard, crawling on all 4's when he turned 1 and is running around the house now :) (he is now 17 months old). He is very tall for his age (97th percentile) so it took longer for him to build the strength as he was so heavy. He loved to stand as well...but since he was so heavy, it was hard for him to pull himself up on his own so we would just help and encourage him to do it. Don't worry, she is totally normal! I would just spend a lot of time with her on the floor to try to encourage her to begin crawling...and she will do it when she's ready! Or she may skip it and go straight to walking.

Crawling is an important part of brain development in terms of problem solving, etc. However, not all children crawl. I went straight to walking at 10 months and skipped crawling and was an honor's student...so, all children are different. And your child is practicing "crawling" behavior, so she is meeting her key milestones.

Hope this helps!!

when i got my daughter a little lawn mower type toy that she could hold onto and push, she started walking soon after.

Don't be in too much of a rush to get her mobile (you will know what I mean when she starts to run away from you!!!) but check with your ped to make sure there is nothing else going on. My daughter had a slight head tilt (which I did not notice) but her Ped. did notice this at her 6 mo appointment. She received physical therapy for this for a few months and is perfectly fine now (at 6 years old). If we did not correct this abnormality, she would have had a hard time with the normal development cycle of sitting/crawling/walking.

Hi C.,

Don't be discouraged! It's really not unusual that your baby girl isn't crawling yet. As a matter of fact crawling is one of the least predictable milestones and some babies don't even crawl at all. My daughter didn't crawl until well into her 10th month and now at 14 months she can walk but always wants to be holding my finger. She didn't like to pull up on furniture and would often only pull up to her knees. I think it's part of her cautious nature. Also, since every child develops at their own pace, I'm willing to bet your daughter has mastered something other than those gross motor skills; her fine motor skills perhaps? Anyway, take heart, as long as her muscle tone is fine (and it sounds like it is) she'll crawl when she's ready. :) Anne

Hi C.-
I have an 8 1/2 month old daughter and I agree with the many other mothers that all children are different. Don't fret over this. My daughter has not crawled and if she does not, so well be it. She gets herself around the living room on her tummy doing the military style arm crawl.

And the milestone chart also says she should be able to pull herself up at this age, well she does not and I am not the least bit worried. She is a healty little chuncker who is very observant, funny, a good eater and loves her dogs. Enjoy her time now and what she is doing. You woould be surprised with what practicing will do for her.
I practice with my daughter by having her support herself standing on my knee...and I guide her over to the coffee table. I did this for about a week and she is getting better at it by slowly building courage to do it by herself. I practice with her also by having her support herself on different items around the house by standing. You would be surprised how good they get after a few times.

Every child is different. Ive heard of kids who have completely skipped crawling. My best friends kid didnt walk until she was 17 mths.

Dear C.,

I thought my son would never crawl - he could roll so far and so fast, I didn't think he would ever "need" to crawl. But he did - all on his own. I don't remember when he started (he is a college freshman this year). My son and his cousin would do things within days of each other, but this always surprised me because there is such a broad range when it comes to developmental milestones. It is important to his later ability to learn to read that he crawl, but not so much when. I would wait and watch, and not worry yet.

Good luck!
B.

Relax. Nine months is not the time to worry. If by 14 months she is not walking independantly, be concerned, that's what my pediatrician told me. If you want to put your mind at ease, take her to your pediatrician, it helped me. My daughter decided to let go and walk on her own at exactly 14 months, she never took much to crawling until she was almost a year. My daughter is 2 1/2 yrs now and runs around like crazy. Do your part to encourage her and leave her to it.

have you taken her to the pediatrician? what does she say? My daughter never crawled, and I worried too, the doctor reassured me that she was healthy. at 10 1/2 months she started walking. chek with the pediatrician and wait a while, good luck P

Dear C.,

Don't worry she will crawl when she decides to, I know how hard it is to wait for these milestones, but it is just fine, what she is doing now. O.K.?

My gr grand daughter is 10 months old now, and she is just now realizing that she can stand by holding on to hands or railings on the bed. She does scoot, and puts a lot of pressure on that poor big toe to get places. But she is happy and proud of her own ability to moved about and she will soon so all that regular crawling and 'stuff'.

C. N.

I am a pediatric OT, it is smart of you to keep a close eye on this important milestone. Some babies do skip crawling, but it is a misconception that it is not important. It is important for things like shoulder strength and fine-motor skills including handwriting down the road. Do what you can to place her in the position and allow her to have floor time, encouraging her with toys to move forward. Once they figure it out it usually moves quickly. good luck

Don't worry! My 22 month old didn't start to do anything resembling crawling until close to 12 months. Some people were all panicked about this (weirdly enough- people I didn't even know!!!) Strangers were telling me that I should contact physical therapists and other doctors specializing in spinal development and the like. But, I knew it would come.

She didn't walk on her own until about 14 months and THEN began to crawl normally. She just took off after that. Children develop at different rates. Those books only list those development levels as guidelines. Take it from me - a retired teacher who worked 9 1/2 years as a preschool teacher - that every child is different. Be patient. Also... enjoy this time of little locomotion. You will be chasing after her in no time.

C.,
I am so glad you realize how important the crawling stage is. How much "Tummy Time" does she spend? Being on the tummy is critical for developing the core muscles and moving baby through important movement patterns and reflexes. With the fear of SIDS at sleeptime, many babies are not getting their key experience on their stomach. Nature will take its course when we provide the safe, loving envionment which I know you will do with a little guidance. For more details and more activites for the early developmental years which are the springboard for success, check out The SuperConfitelligent Child:Loving to Learn through Movement and Play by D. Hornbeak. Contact me at ____@____.com for a more personal interaction.

A bit of a different response than the others you've received so far - you can call Regional Center for a free evaluation and if there are any concerns you may qualify for physical therapy. My daughter did not crawl until the day before her 1st birthday but she was following the other milestones, just at a very slow rate. My son, on the other hand, did not bear weight on his legs and after an evaluation was deemed to have mild hypotonia (low muscle tone). He also has tightness. After doing physical therapy, he started getting stronger and catching up and he crawled 2 weeks before his 1st bday. He is 15 mos now and does not walk yet but we are still working on it, PT twice a week and it definitely helps.

Call Regional Center, it doesn't cost you anything except some time and you'll either have peace of mind, or get the help you need. Good luck! Let me know if you need more info.

As a mom of 3 I've been through all of that. My oldest son did never crawl. He rolled to where he wanted to go, other than that, he was just sitting around. When he was 14 months old he just stood up and began walking. My second child began crawling at about 10 months and would not walk until he was 16 months old, while my baby started crawling at 7 months and now at 12 months already starts to walk.

So you see, they will crawl or walk when they're ready. I think the books just want to give you a general lead. But kids will develop at their own pace.

I hope this will help you a little. Please feel free to contact me with further questons. M.

I wouldn't worry at all. My daughter was 11 months when she finally started to crawl and she didn't even do it for very long because when she was 12 months she started walking. I've read that they don't even consider crawling a milestone anymore because some babies never do it. They just go from rolling to walking. I think the reason that my daughter didn't really crawl very much was because she got around so good rolling that she didn't need another way to do it. I wouldn't worry at all your daughter sounds perfectly normal. Just try not to worry about it because before you know it you'll be chasing her around! =)

Hang in there. My 18 month old boy didn't crawl until just after 9 months. She'll get there.

Don't worry too much. It sounds as if your daughter has found a way to get around! I know of several children who didn't crawl until 10 and 11 months. Some babies skip crawling and go right to walking when they are ready. I think it was on the baby center website that I read that some babies skip crawling. Each child is unique and will reach developmental milestones at his or her own pace. It's hard not to worry when you've read that your baby should be doing something at a certain age. Talk to your pediatrician to ease your mind about this concern.

My 1st daughter never crawled.. at least not until she was already walking very well. She went straight to walking. She took some first steps at almost 10 months of age and began walking well a bit over a year old. Your daughter sounds like she is developing normally. She's sitting up and interacting with her environment. I wouldn't worry.

Hi C. -
I have heard (not from experience) that some babies go from sitting straight to walking and skip the whole crawling thing. So, it might not be so un-usual. However, I would still take her to her pediatritian just to make sure there is nothing else that is causing this.

Good Luck - L.

C.,
Don't worry about it. Each child is different and she is right on track and one day you will turn around and she is crawling and you won't know what to do with yourself. I have two boys 9 and 3. My first one didn't crawl until he was 11 1/2 months old and didn't walk until he was 14 months old. My second one crawled for about two weeks when he was 10 months old and has been walking since 10 1/2 months and hasn't slowed down since. Enjoy your time you have before all you do is run after her!!

My daughter, who is a college grad. and a new mother herself, was also a "roller" who very seldom crawled. Right before she walked, about thirteen months, she began to crawl. Why are you in such a hurry for her to stand, when her muscle development is not yet ready? If you are concerned that your daughter needs physical therapy, please make an appointment with your pediatrician to rule things out. It will also lessen your anxiety. I know it's hard not to compare your child with others, but babies develop at different rates, and the milestone charts are guidelines.

Hi C.,
I don't think you need to worry yet, but keep encouraging her to crawl by enticing her with toys she may want to get to. A toy that creeps away from her (like the Discovery Toy caterpillar toy) or one that rolls (any bright colored ball or chiming toy) or one that hangs up high she may want to reach up toward.I am a P.T. and Discovery Toy Educational Consultant and have two kids myself. Spending lots of floor time with your baby helps too. Tummy time to strengthen her back muscles is important too. Crawling requires a good amount of coordination, first stages are often creeping and rocking on all 4's.
Hope this helps. Your pediatrician might refer you to a pediatric PT if you don't have any success within the next month.
C.

Hi C.-

My daughter did not start crawling until she was closer to 11 months!! I have always been told that every child is different and they will do there thing when they are ready to. The books are a kind of guide line read them use them but they are not all true. My cousin her son started walking at 4 months... so it really just depends on the child.
A.

Don't worry about the crawling. Both my girls didn't until they were into there 12th and 13th month. Both my girls would really into analyzing their toys and would sit for long periods and really work on one before they moved onto the other. And now, I've found out that they are both exceptionally smart! Crawling happens at different times for children. I totally wouldn't worry about it. Be happy that you don't have to run after her yet. Enjoy her for who she is because once she starts moving you will have your hands full!

Don't stress!!! Of course mention it to your pediatrician but all little ones have their own time schedule. Some never crawl and go straight to walking!! Enjoy everything and she will be RUNNING before you know it!!

Dear C.,
My oldest son pretty much skipped the crawling stage when he was 9 mo. old, he went from standing on feet & hands to walking. Work with your daughter, holding her hands and helping her walk. My trick is to have the baby hold a bottle in one hand while I at the same time held the bottle, when they feel secure, try letting go. When they discover they can walk, they do! I've used this with my 3 kids and 3 others and they were walking in minutes!

Try not to worry too much. Every child is different. My daughter never crawled. She scooted around, and then started walking when she was 10 1/2 months. I've heard kids who don't crawl often walk early. My son, on the other hand, crawled as soon as he was able and then started walking at 13 months. As always, talk to your pediatrician if you're really concerned.

Nothing to worry about. She will crawling/running around the house in no time.
My 11 month old son "commando crawls" everywhere beginning at 9 months old and just refuses to get up on his hands and knees to crawl. He doesn't seem to mind though and it is cute to watch. My daughter didn't crawl until 8-9 months and she didn't walk until 13 months. We don't try to make him crawl on his hands and knees, we just walk him around the house holding his hands and he loves it!!

Go Torrance! I grew up there, went to West High, Bert Lynn and Towers. Let me mention your baby is normal. I have 3 children ages 9 and 3 and a half, the youngest are twins boy girl. My oldest started walking at 10 months the twin girl walked at 8 months and the twin boy took til the week of his year birthday. It's a pretty wide span. Don't worry it will come and then you'll be needing to put everything up!

Completely normal. The actual average age for crawling is 9 months, that means that some don't crawl till later and some never crawl at all.

My first daughter rolled everywhere she needed to go. She didn't need to crawl and she didn't until she was 10 months old. Even then she still prefered to roll. She pulled herself up at 11 1/2 months and walked at 13 months.

Don't worry about it is my advise. My son didn't crawl until 10 mths and didn't walk unitl 16 mths. He is very stable little boy with very little falls becuase of this. Once they start crawling it is a whole new level of chasing them and even higher level once they start walking, so enjoy this time and don't stress at all about it.

I have 3 children and each were different at the stage in which they began crawling and walking. My first child crawled almost at 10 months and walked at a year and my second child crawled from 6 months to about 12 months, and I remember I was scared because he crawled soo much and never tried to walk. Each child is different. There are some babies who never crawl and all of a sudden start walking. Your baby sounds healthy because you stand her up with help and she is steady. I think when you least expect it she will start crawling or walking and surprise you. Each child is so different even if it differs from books. Good luck and enjoy your baby.